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32v, s APPL-ETON. Plate Printing Press.

No. 242,854. Patented June 14. 1881.

N. PETERS, Pboko-Lllhugrzpher. Waslumglom n C UNITED STATES? PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER s. APPLETON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PLATE-PRINTING PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,854, dated June 14, 1881.

Application filed December 3, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WALTER S. APPLETON, of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plate-Printing Presses; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form' a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that kind of plate printing presses in which the engraved plate is automatically wiped by a traveling wiper belt.

The object of my invention is to keep the wiper-belt in as uniform a condition as is practicable; also, to save the wiper'belt from the wearing action of a knife-scraperheretofore employed to scrape the surplus ink directly from the wiper-belt.

To this end my invention consists in combining with the wiper-belt a separate cloth-covered roller or doctor for taking the surplus ink from the wiperbelt, and imparting an endwise reciprocating or vibrating motion to said doctor-roller, in order that it may elfect a crosswise rubbing action on the wiper-belt to equalize the distribution of the ink held in suspension in the fabric of the belt and keep the nap of the belt from packing.

The several combinations which I claim as my invention are specifically stated in the claims at the close of this specification. All of these combinations 1 deem it best to embody in each machine; but one or more of them may be used only, as may be deemed best under varyin g circumstances.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a plate printing press embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a plan view, of the parts specially entering into my invention.

The same letters of reference are used in all the figures in the designation of identical parts.

In the example of plate-printing press illustrated the engraved plate is secured upon the reciprocating bed A, by which it is moved alternately under the inking apparatus B, to be inked, and under the impression-cylinder O, to make impressions. On its return from the inking apparatus the engraved plate is wiped, to remove the surplus ink, by the wiper-belt D, running in a contrary direction. The wiperbelt is driven by the large drum E, which is located directly over the path of the engraved plate and sustains the belt at the point where it wipes said plate. The wiper-belt is made of cloth or other woven fabric suitable for this purpose, and encircles a large portion of the surface of drum E, so that the latter has great tractive power over the belt. In connection wit-h drum E, a series of gui'derollers, F, are used to sustain and direct the wiper-belt. The drum E is constructed with a surface of yielding material G, so as to make it somewhat elastic, in order that the wiper-belt may wipe with an elastic touch.

The surplus ink is taken from the wiper-belt by a cloth-covered roller, I, which bears forcibly against the wiper-belt where it passes over one of its guide-rollers. This doctor-roller is thus driven by the wiper-belt. A dull-edged knife, H, scrapes the ink from the doctor-roller.

In order that the ink carried in the fabric of the wiper-belt'may be evenly distributed and the nap of the wiperbelt be kept slightly raised, the doctor-roller is vibrated across the wiper-belt. This is done by lever K, fulcrumed on a projection of the frame-work and oscil-- lated by a serpentine cam-groove, n, in the surface of a disk, N, on the shaft of drum E. This cam-groove acts on a stud, 7c, of the lever K, the other end of which is forked and engages a grooved collar, '6, on the journal of roller I. The grades of cam-groove tare such as to give roller I a vibration of about two inches; but

the cam grades or the lever may be changed if a different vibration of the roller is required or deemed expedient.

The cleaning of the engraved plate is completed by the polisher L, constructed as shown,

andoperating in connection with the usual endless polisher-belt, M, impregnated with whiting, as usual.

As the general construction and mode of oporation of plate-printing presses of the character illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed is well known to persons skilled in the In testimony that I claim the foregoing as art, it is deemed unnecessary to enter upon a my own Iaffix my signature in presence of two 10 description of the same. witnesses.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to 5 secure by Letters Patent, is WALTER APPLETON' The combination, substantially as before set Witnesses: forth, of the fibrous wiper-belt and the vibrat- B. E. J. EILS, ing doctor therefor. W. T. J oHNsoN. 

